Based on my recent sojourn into the Belly of the Beast area affected by Hurricane Sandy, here are some thoughts on items that should be considered for a BOB. As little as we might want to think about it, we may well wind up in a shelter of some sort, if only temporarily, and that inspired many of these:

1-quart zipper-seal bags.

Roll(s) toilet paper--collapse core, stuff into above

Trash can liner(s) (garbage/trash bag)

Waste basket liner (small trash bag)

Shower shoes. AKA flip-flops, or (in Hawaii) "slippahs". Get a sturdy pair, not the lightweight kind suitable for the beach, and certainly not fashion flipflops!

Anti-fungal ointment--alas, the shower shoes aren't infallible...

Rechargeable batteries, w/charger*--make every attempt to standardize on no more than two sizes of battery. (preferably AA or AAA)

Charger for each electronic item**--by this time micro USB & 30 pin (iphone and some Android tablets) are standard.

Travel surge protector***--if there's power in whatever shelter you're in, you may need to share.

Travel, AKA Pack towel(s). I bought an extra large and a mini from REI, which are similar to the Sea to Summit numbers at that link. They're heavier than many, but work great, and dry overnight.

Small shovel/trowel. Among other uses, you might decide you wish to cache something before entering the shelter, in case they get picky about items you bring with you. Yeah, I know, "In that case I won't go." Easy to say now. Just sayin'...

Every time I took a shower I wished I had a spray bottle full of a bleach solution...

I added a travel pillow and a light weight "travel throw" or "lap blanket"--the pillow got used more than the throw, the quarters they housed us in were pretty warm. (Uncomfortably so, some nights.)

Some used a sleep mask; some shelters have lights on all night, or you may be trying to sleep during the day.

The areas we were working in were hell on cell phone connectivity, you may be aware that areas with weak or no service can actually drain your battery faster than when you are connected, as the phone seeks a signal. Everyone was charging their company and personal phones every night.

I didn't see them on the list, but if you're trying to sleep in a big gym or someplace similar with lots of other people, ear plugs can be quite helpful, in addition to the aforementioned sleep mask if they keep the lights on all the time.

I didn't see them on the list, but if you're trying to sleep in a big gym or someplace similar with lots of other people, ear plugs can be quite helpful, in addition to the aforementioned sleep mask if they keep the lights on all the time.

I might just be a little cranky, but if I'm trying to sleep in a strange place surrounded by a bunch of people I don't know, the last thing I'm going to do is deaden my hearing.

Right or wrong, in a situation like that I need to be aware of what is going on around me. Other's mileage may vary.

Do I treat Glocks like I treat my lawn mowers? No, I treat them worse. I treat my defensive weapons like my fire extinguishers and smoke detector - annual maintenance and I expect them to work when needed

I agree you do not want to walk around in condition White all day wearing an iPod.

However, I consider an iPod Touch to be a valuable part of my Every Day Carry. Why? Because it is a pocket sized device that I can use to get on any WiFi hotspot and access email and the Web. I have dozens of books on it. I have all my important data I would never want to lose 256 bit encrypted in eWallet on it. I can use it to access the huge amount of important to me info stored in my DropBox.

Yes, I can also do all this with my iPhone, but what if the iPhone battery is dead? Two is one, and one is none.

Or I just carry a small (4oz) bottle of a generic cleaner product (Amway LOC in my case) in my toiletries, just in case something needs laundering. Or a small bottle of CampSuds, dishwashing liquid or liquid laundry detergent.

Do I treat Glocks like I treat my lawn mowers? No, I treat them worse. I treat my defensive weapons like my fire extinguishers and smoke detector - annual maintenance and I expect them to work when needed

Don't forget about dental hygiene. Toothbrush, toothpaste (or baking soda), floss, temp cement for crowns and other repair. And one of the most versatile items--Ambesol/Oragel (or generic) is simply benzocaine in high concentration. It can be used as a topical anesthetic for pain other than toothache.

My wife works for a dentist, so we have cases of toothbrushes (dentists buy 'em as give-aways--used to be free from mfrs as samples) and those little sample tubes of toothpaste inventoried as barter/trade merchandise.

My wife works for a dentist, so we have cases of toothbrushes (dentists buy 'em as give-aways--used to be free from mfrs as samples) and those little sample tubes of toothpaste inventoried as barter/trade merchandise.

My wife works for a dentist, so we have cases of toothbrushes (dentists buy 'em as give-aways--used to be free from mfrs as samples) and those little sample tubes of toothpaste inventoried as barter/trade merchandise.

Don't forget about dental hygiene. Toothbrush, toothpaste (or baking soda), floss, temp cement for crowns and other repair. And one of the most versatile items--Ambesol/Oragel (or generic) is simply benzocaine in high concentration. It can be used as a topical anesthetic for pain other than toothache.

My wife works for a dentist, so we have cases of toothbrushes (dentists buy 'em as give-aways--used to be free from mfrs as samples) and those little sample tubes of toothpaste inventoried as barter/trade merchandise.

Good points all, but the purpose of this thread was to suggest a few things that folks might otherwise not think about when putting their BOB together.

That said, the BOB should have hygiene/toiletries in it full time, as opposed to "I'll grab them as I leave the house."

And if you wish to keep a bottle of dish soap in your BOB, well, it's your bag...

Good points all, but the purpose of this thread was to suggest a few things that folks might otherwise not think about when putting their BOB together.

That said, the BOB should have hygiene/toiletries in it full time, as opposed to "I'll grab them as I leave the house."

And if you wish to keep a bottle of dish soap in your BOB, well, it's your bag...

Thought it was you who brought up laundry soap.

It is my bag and I do keep Dawn dishwashing detergent in it all the time. It's as good a hand cleaner as you'll find and it'll do a passable job on your socks and unmentionables if need be. I'll wash my clothes with Dawn, but I won't wash my body with laundry detergent. Since in the interest of keeping it simple and light I only carry one kind, it needs to be the one I can use for everything. If it was handy Doc's L.O.C. or Shaklee basic H would be just fine too.

BTW: If anyone hasn't tried Dawn as a hand cleaner around the shop, I recommend it highly. It's inexpensive and works as well or better than any of the commercial hand cleaners priced at two or three times as much.

Once deployed, I picked up some pod-style laundry detergent, since I would have access to washing machine in our quarters, and the pods would travel better--and share among the team easier--than a box or bottle of regular laundry soap.